There are 31.6 million 12-19 year-olds in the U.S. - the largest generation ever. (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000)
Teens are exposed to an estimated 3,000 ads a day. (Adbusters)
65% of U.S. teens have TV sets in their own rooms. (Kaiser Family Foundation)
83% of U.S. teens reported going online last year. (Teen Research Unlimited)
Last year, U.S. teens spent an estimated $105 billion and influenced their parents to spend an additional $48 billion. (Teen Research Unlimited)
In 1998, U.S. companies spent nearly $200 billion on advertising. Worldwide ad spending is estimated at $435 billion. (Advertising Age and the United Nations Human Development Report, cited in Klein)
Questions to Consider:
Who is the "storyteller"?
What techniques are the "storytellers" using to tell their "story"?
Why are they telling this particular "story" (what is their motive)?
Who is the "story" for (who is the target audience)? Why is the "story" being told to that audience?
Is the story accurate, fair, and complete? If not, what information or perspectives are absent and why were they left out?
Questions to Answer: "In much the same way that the British Empire tried to take over Africa and profit from its wealth, corporations look at [teens] like this massive empire they are colonizingäAnd their weapons are films, music, books, CDs, Internet access, clothing, amusement parks, sports teams."
-Robert McChesney 1.Are "cool hunters" and those who use the information they supply similar to colonial powers? Do they exploit teens or are they providing desired benefits and services? Yes, because they are trying to expand their influence and through the exploitation of teens they are able to do so successfully. These people provide desired benefits and services, however, what they provide also exploits teens.
"They don't call it "human" research or "people" research, they call it "market" research."
- Douglas Rushkoff 2. Did the marketers in "The Merchants of Cool" get it right? Do they really know you? If MTV was really based on understanding you as a person, what would it look like?
No, they don’t really know the individual, instead they “understand” the group – the sterotypical teen. If MTV was based on understanding me, it would be a channel that has shows with a purpose and story; it would have less marketing of terrible music and “the mook”.
"The MTV machine doesn't listen to the young so it can make the young happieräThe MTV machine tunes in so it can figure out how to pitch what Viacom has to sell."
- Mark Crispin Miller 3. Are marketers concerned with the well-being of the consumer? Do they answer to consumers? If not, who do they answer to? Is marketing to teens different from marketing to adults?
No, they are not. They do not answer to the consumers either. Marketers answer to statistics and what is considered popular in society at the moment. Marketing to teens and adults is very different; marketing to teens can be extremely exploitative.
"Quite simply, every company with a powerful brand is attempting to develop a relationship with consumers that resonates so completely with their sense of self that they will aspire, or at least consent, to be serfs under these feudal brandlords."
- Naomi Klein* 4. Has seeing "The Merchants of Cool" led you to think about how you express your identity? What questions do you have?
*This quote does not appear in the film, but is related to its content. Not really, I’m fine with the way I am. Maybe a question I have could be if the media is so persuasive, why are there still girls who haven’t conformed to the “typical, ‘fun’ teenage girl” that is often conveyed in TV, magazines, et cetera?
The Merchants of Cool
Statistics:
Questions to Consider:
- Who is the "storyteller"?
- What techniques are the "storytellers" using to tell their "story"?
- Why are they telling this particular "story" (what is their motive)?
- Who is the "story" for (who is the target audience)? Why is the "story" being told to that audience?
- Is the story accurate, fair, and complete? If not, what information or perspectives are absent and why were they left out?
Questions to Answer:"In much the same way that the British Empire tried to take over Africa and profit from its wealth, corporations look at [teens] like this massive empire they are colonizingäAnd their weapons are films, music, books, CDs, Internet access, clothing, amusement parks, sports teams."
-Robert McChesney
1.Are "cool hunters" and those who use the information they supply similar to colonial powers? Do they exploit teens or are they providing desired benefits and services?
Yes, because they are trying to expand their influence and through the exploitation of teens they are able to do so successfully. These people provide desired benefits and services, however, what they provide also exploits teens.
"They don't call it "human" research or "people" research, they call it "market" research."
- Douglas Rushkoff
2. Did the marketers in "The Merchants of Cool" get it right? Do they really know you? If MTV was really based on understanding you as a person, what would it look like?
No, they don’t really know the individual, instead they “understand” the group – the sterotypical teen. If MTV was based on understanding me, it would be a channel that has shows with a purpose and story; it would have less marketing of terrible music and “the mook”.
"The MTV machine doesn't listen to the young so it can make the young happieräThe MTV machine tunes in so it can figure out how to pitch what Viacom has to sell."
- Mark Crispin Miller
3. Are marketers concerned with the well-being of the consumer? Do they answer to consumers? If not, who do they answer to? Is marketing to teens different from marketing to adults?
No, they are not. They do not answer to the consumers either. Marketers answer to statistics and what is considered popular in society at the moment. Marketing to teens and adults is very different; marketing to teens can be extremely exploitative.
"Quite simply, every company with a powerful brand is attempting to develop a relationship with consumers that resonates so completely with their sense of self that they will aspire, or at least consent, to be serfs under these feudal brandlords."
- Naomi Klein*
4. Has seeing "The Merchants of Cool" led you to think about how you express your identity? What questions do you have?
*This quote does not appear in the film, but is related to its content.
Not really, I’m fine with the way I am. Maybe a question I have could be if the media is so persuasive, why are there still girls who haven’t conformed to the “typical, ‘fun’ teenage girl” that is often conveyed in TV, magazines, et cetera?